Structure of the Federal Government Flashcards
Census
a complete count of a population, including place of residence
Gerrymandering
to draw a district’s boundaries to gain an advantage in eleections
Filibuster
a method of defeating a bill in the senate by stalling the legislative process and preventing a vote
Levying
to impose a tax
Cloture
a procedure for ending a debate by taking a vote
Speaker of the House
An administrative leader of the house controls proceedings, manages the business of the House, and maintains order; becomes president if P and VP die.
Majority leader
the speaker’s top assistant whose job is to help plan the majority party’s legislative program and to steer important bills through the house
Minority leader
the head of the minority party in a legislative body in the House
Majority whip
responsible for counting heads, rounding up party members for votes and quorum calls, and occasionally standing in for majority or minority leaders
President pro tempore
High-ranking senator of the majority party who presides over the US Senate in the absence of the VP
separation of powers
an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies.
consituent
a person whom a member of congress has been elected to represent
checks & balances
provides each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
veto
rejection of a bill by the president
pocket veto
when a president kills a bill passed during the last 10 days while Congress is in session by simply refusing to act on it
executive order
a rule issued by the president that has the force of law
executive privilege
the right of the president and other high-ranking executive officers to refuse to testify before congress or a court
executive agreement
legally binding pact between the president and the head f a foreign government that does not require Senate approval
cabinet
the president’s closest advisors, consisting of the VP, secretaries of each of the 15 executive departments, and other top government officials that help the president mak decisions and policies
appeal
a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court
jurisdiction
the limit or territory within which authority may be exercised
original jurisdiction
the authority of a trial court to be the first to hear a case
litigant
A person involved in a lawsuit
writ of certiorari
an order from the supreme court to send up the records on a case for review
precedent
a legal principle created by an appellate court decision that lower court judges must follow when deciding similar cases
federalism
a system of government in which two or more governments exercise power over the same people and the same territory
Judicial review
the power of the Supreme court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional
judicial activism
the philosophy that courts must sometimes step into political and social controversies in order to protect the constitutional rights
judicial restraint
the philosophy that courts should generally avoid overturning laws passed or action taken by democratically elected bodies
rule of four
an unwritten rule declaring that if four of the nine justices agree to gear a case, it will be scheduled for argument
